


Undue Influence

by DualWieldingCousland (DualWieldingMama)



Series: The Other Regan [11]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 04:05:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3796036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DualWieldingMama/pseuds/DualWieldingCousland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Is Mother Gisele spreading rumors about Dorian?  Is that a rumor, itself?  And what does Regan think of all this?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Undue Influence

Regan bounded up the stairs toward the library, eager to collect Dorian and be on their way. Yet another errand to run in the Storm Coast and she wanted Dorian along this time. Blackwall and Bull were waiting at the stables, prepping the mounts and waiting for her to catch up. It should have been just a quick run-in and grab, but as she neared the top of the stairs, a pair of familiar voices reached her ears.

“Don’t play the fool with me, young man.” That was Mother Gisele’s voice, wasn’t it? Yes, she was fairly certain that accent belonged to the Chantry mother. But what was she doing in the library? The woman rarely ventured out from the gardens, and rarely did she manage to sound so … suspicious. Who was she talking to?”

Dorian’s voice followed, sounding more than a little annoyed. “If I wanted to play the fool, I could be rather more convincing, I assure you.” Regan bit back a chuckle as she hurried the rest of the way up the steps. Whatever was going on probably should be stopped, quickly. 

“Your glib tongue does you no credit.”

“You’d be surprised at the credit my tongue gets me, your reverence.” Dorian leaned against the nearby bookshelf and crossed his arms over his chest, smirking at the Revered Mother. Regan couldn’t help but wonder if he was still irritated that the woman had wanted to keep his father’s arrival a secret.

“What’s going on here?” Regan finally reached the pair and tried to look as though she hadn’t overheard anything; she was pretty sure she failed. She saw Dorian try to bite back his annoyance when she appeared. Mother Gisele was doing a good job of looking curiously innocent, and probably would have convinced Regan of such if she hadn’t overheard part of the conversation already. 

“It seems the Revered Mother is concerned.” Dorian remained against the bookshelf, but managed to give her a faint smile. When Regan prompted him for exactly what Mother Gisele was concerned about, he forced a laugh. “Apparently she is concerned about my undue influence over you.” What a foolish thought; if anyone was influencing anyone, it was the other way around. 

Regan just … stared for a moment, confused. “Wait, she … what?” She looked over at Gisele and just … stared. The woman hadn’t struck her as someone who would care overmuch about who joined the Inquisition, so long as everyone pitched in to help, and Dorian had certainly helped more than once.

“It’s just a concern, your worship,” Mother Gisele began in a quiet voice. She could tell the Inquisitor was less than thrilled with the current discussion. She would have much preferred the young woman not have stumbled upon this particular discussion. “You must know how this looks.” She tactfully ignored Dorian’s smart comment when Regan prompted her to explain. “This man is of Tevinter. His presence at your side … the rumors alone ….”

“What’s wrong with him being from Tevinter,” Regan interrupted, glancing at Dorian. “I mean, specifically.” She didn’t get why it was such a big deal. So the man was from Tevinter; so what? He hadn’t done one thing to indicate that he was there for anything other than to help. 

“We are facing an army of Tevinter mages and soldiers in the Venatori. Corypheus claims to be a Tevinter magister.” Mother Gisele was cautious, choosing her words carefully. One wrong word, wrong tone could set the whole discussion aflame. “I’m fully aware that not everyone from the Imperium is the same, but ….”

“How kind of you to notice.” Dorian’s tone was cold, his glare almost matching. He still hadn’t moved from his spot against the bookshelf, but it was easy to see he was annoyed. “Yet sill you bow to the opinion of the masses?”

“The opinion of the masses is based on centuries of evidence,” Mother Gisele replied. She looked from Dorian to Regan and back again. She certainly hadn’t planned on being questioned in such a manner; she’d expected the Inquisitor to stand with her. The woman had been told the same stories about Tevinter as she had, after all. “What would you have me tell them?”

“The truth?” Regan and Dorian glanced at each other as the same response came from both. They likely would have laughed, had the situation not felt so serious. 

“The truth is,” Mother Gisele replied, a slight warning coming into her tone, “that I do not know you, and neither do they. Thus, these rumors will continue.”

“You’re not spreading these rumors, are you, Mother Gisele?” Regan took a step forward, watching the Revered Mother’s face as a flash of guilt was quickly masked by indignation. Of course she was. Why wouldn’t someone in the Chantry help rumors along when they concerned Tevinter? “Oh, for the love of the Maker; that’s why you wanted Dorian to meet with his father’s supposed retainer! You wanted him to go back to Tevinter, didn’t you?” She slapped a hand to her forehead, simply stunned. She didn’t have to look at Dorian to know he had a similar look on his face. “You seriously thought I would just … hand him over? Andraste’s balls, woman; he risked his neck warning us of the approaching horde at Haven, helped us get everyone out. And you thought I’d just … send him away?” 

Mother Gisele shook her head, frowning. That wasn’t how it was. It really wasn’t. She had just wanted to help a family come back together; that was all. “I meant no disrespect, Inquisitor,” she finally got out. “Only to ask after this man’s intentions; if you feel he is without ulterior motives, then I humbly beg forgiveness of you both.” She watched quietly as Dorian nodded first, barely. He was obviously annoyed, but he wasn’t screaming at her, which she appreciated. Regan took longer, was still obviously annoyed, but eventually nodded.

“I trust him, Mother Gisele,” she said flatly. “I thank you for your … concern, but Dorian has proven himself trustworthy and more than willing to stand against the Venatori.” She tilted her head, raised an eyebrow, as if daring the other woman to deny it. When she didn’t, just simply excused herself and headed down the stairs, Regan sighed and finished the journey over to Dorian. “Well, that was …. Does that sort of thing happen often to you here?”

“More than anyone would tell you,” he replied, trying to laugh it off. The insinuations weren’t anything he wasn’t already used to. He knew that several people in Skyhold still didn’t trust him. He was from Tevinter, the enemy as much as most of them had been taught. Even still, no one had been outright rude to him – though that could have been because he was close to the Inquisitor. “I suppose no one knows their own reputation.”

“Until someone helpfully informs them.” She slumped against the bookshelf next to him, rubbing her forehead. “And mother always wondered why I didn’t spend more time with the sisters in the local Chantry. Stupid cows gossiped worse than any fishwife I ever saw.”

“And just how many fishwives did you see in your lovely castle?” He laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him. “Such a dignified response. She meant well, if that’s of any concern.” He understood why Mother Gisele had come after him, he really did. He didn’t particularly like it, but he understood it. 

“She didn’t get to you, did she?” Regan asked. She rested a hand on his shoulder, chewed on the inside of her cheek, looking concerned. She really didn’t want to have to ask the Revered Mother to leave, but if she was going to keep … talking about him …. “You don’t think she’d actually do anything, do you?”

“Do what?” Dorian laughed and shook his head. “It takes far more than thinly veiled accusations to get to me, Regan. I am from Tevinter; I’m fairly certain I have heard it all before.” He reached up, patted the hand on his shoulder and smiled. “Besides, yours is the only real opinion I care about.” He paused, looking thoughtful. “Well, yours and a few others, anyway. I should ask … do the rumors flying about bother you?”

She nodded, then shook her head slightly, pursing her lips. “I just … I hate hearing the things they say about you,” she explained, ignoring his teasing chuckle. “They don’t know you, haven’t even tried to get to know you.” She shrugged, running her fingers through her hair. “Andraste’s balls, Dorian … even Cullen, who has more reason than most to be wary of mages, has made the effort to get to know you, and he is … or at least I think he is, your friend, right?”

“We are, indeed, my dear. Admittedly, I think once he realized I was not trying to weasel my way into your bed, it was easier for him.” Dorian couldn’t help but smile as she blushed, rather enjoying the embarrassed noises she tried to hide. He may not be interested in women for physical or romantic pursuits, but she was a true gem. “Perhaps it’s odd for me to say; I don’t know. But, I … I think of you as a friend as well. I have precious few friends – I think I can count the number on one hand, and still have a finger or two left over, now. I … I didn’t think I’d find any here.” He held up a hand, stopping whatever she had been about to say. “Shhh; I detest confessions, and I’d rather like to get this one over with. I’ll stand beside you, proudly – against Corypheus, my countrymen or spurious rumor, so long as you’ll have me.”

“Thank you, Dorian,” she said with a grin. “I appreciate it, and I’m glad you decided to stick around.” Without warning, she pulled him into a tight hug and kissed his cheek. “And now, c’mon; Bull and Blackwall are waiting for us. We have … adventuring to do! I’m pretty sure they already will have Thranduil and Smoke saddled for us by the time we get to the stables.”


End file.
